Gautam Adani bribery charges: The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) that has been caught in the eye of the storm along with Gautam Adani and other executives of the Adani Group, has done nothing wrong, said CMD RP Gupta. US prosecutors have accused Adani and co of bribing Indian officials in exchange for favourable terms for solar power contracts. The prosecutors also named a few states in the Rs 2,200 crore bribery scheme.
As per the US indictment, SECI entered into the sale agreements with Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and Jammu and Kashmir between July 2021 and February 2022. Andhra Pradesh was then ruled by YSRCP, Odisha by BJD, Chhattisgarh by Congress, Tamil Nadu by DMK, and J&K was Centre-governed.
‘NO WRONGDOING’: RP GUPTA
SECI CMD RP Gupta said on Thursday that the corporation has done nothing wrong. “There is nothing against SECI that SECI has done anything wrong. There is no mention of any wrongdoing or irregularity on part of SECI,” said Gupta.
“There is no allegation against us. It is only against state governments… so those who have allegations against them, it is for them to take any action,” said Gupta.
The Solar Energy Corporation of India is a central PSU under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
‘INCORRECT ALLEGATIONS’: YSRCP
Jagan Mohan-led YSRCP said that its government had no direct agreement with Adani Group and that the power sale pact signed in 2021 was between SECI and AP Discoms.
The party said that the power procurement of 7,000 MW was approved by AP Electricity Regulatory Commission in November, 2021, following which the sale pact was signed between SECI and AP Discoms.
“It is necessary to mention that SECI is a Government of India enterprise. There is no direct agreement between AP DISCOMs and any other entities including those belonging to the Adani group. Therefore, the allegations made on the state government in the light of the indictment are incorrect,” the YSRCP said.
The previous Andhra Pradesh government entered into an arrangement to procure 7,000 MW at Rs 2.49 per kWh power from SECI for a 25-year period. Out of that 3,000 MW was scheduled to commence in FY 2024-25, 3,000 MW in FY 2025-26 and 1,000 MW in FY 2026-27 with waiver of the ISTS (Inter State Transmission System) charges.
Meanwhile, NDA ally said that they would study the report before coming to a conclusion.
‘NO TIES WITH ADANI’: TANGEDCO
The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) said that there is no commercial relationship with Adani. Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji clarified that the state has an understanding to buy power only from a central government firm.
“I would like to first clarify that as regards TANGEDCO, there has been no kind of commercial relationship with Adani’s company during the past three years (after the DMK assumed power in May 2021),” said Balaji.
Tamil Nadu had inked a pact to procure 1,500 MW with SECI at a very competitive price of 2.61 (per unit), said Balaji, adding that there is no direct contact with Adani firm.
